Modern networking, telecommunications, and related endeavors are heavily dependent upon the transmission of data via optical media, such as fiber optics cable. These optical media typically originate and/or terminate from modules, assemblies, drawers, cabinets, and similar equipment mounted in platforms of various types. At these origins and terminals (both hereinafter “terminations”), optical media such as optical fiber are typically connected to the equipment by optical connectors.
Optical connectors are available in a variety of types, styles, and shapes, and other such attributes. Such attributes typically characterize specific interconnective applications. Interconnective applications can physically differ from one another. Physical differences comprise optical and mechanical interconnectivity differences. Optical characteristics allow coupling specific optical media to particular sources (e.g., injection lasers, LEDs, etc.), detectors (e.g., APDs, etc.), and/or other optical media (e.g., fiber to fiber), of varying types.
Optical characteristics of the connectors also relate to corresponding optical characteristics of the optical media to which they are connected. Various optical fibers can differ in wavelength transmissivity, refractive index, and modal properties, core size, and numerical aperture, amongst others. The connectors by which the fibers are optically coupled to their terminations' receptacles can vary accordingly. Connectors can vary between multi-mode step index fiber optics, multi-mode graded index fiber optics, and single mode step index fiber optics.
While mechanical interconnectivity characteristics can support such optical characteristics, they are not limited to optical considerations. Optical connectors having differing mechanical interconnectivity are sometimes selected for particular applications primarily for mechanical considerations, themselves. Mechanical considerations can include structural attributes of the interconnection to be made and of the cable itself (e.g., the type of jacket it has), space and configuration requirements, environmental factors, logistical factors, and the like.
One mechanical consideration is the corresponding mechanical connector configuration of the termination to which the optical connector is to be mated. For any particular termination, the connector of an optical fiber cable can be selected on the basis of the particular optical connection receptacle installed, available, or extant at that particular termination. For instance, a first optical fiber cable can terminate at a multiplexer-demultiplexer (Mux-Demux) module having a particular receptacle. A second fiber cable can terminate at a transponder module.
Where the Mux-Demux module and the transponder share identical optical receptacles and the cables are the same, the optical connectors likewise can be identical. However, where receptacles and/or cables differ between the different devices, it is likely that different connectors will be used to connect the fiber optics to them. Thus, a wide variety of optical connectors are available for terminating fiber optics cables. With reference to Prior Art FIGS. 1A–1D, a number of standard optical connector types are depicted.
Prior Art FIG. 1A depicts a standard optical connector type commonly designated as ‘MTP’. ‘MPO’ type optical connectors are somewhat similar to those of type ‘MTP’. Prior Art FIG. 1B depicts a standard optical connector type commonly designated as ‘MT-RJ’, with pins, configured for connecting a multimode fiber optic cable. Prior Art FIG. 1C depicts a single mode ‘MTRJ’ optical connector, with pins. Prior Art FIG. 1D depicts a single mode type ‘MU’ connector, configured to connect a 900 micrometer (μm) buffered fiber.
Prior Art FIG. 1E depicts a standard optical connector type commonly designated as ‘SC’, configured to connect a multimode fiber optic deployed in a 3 millimeter (mm) simplex cable. Prior Art FIG. 1F depicts the type ‘SC’ connector, as configured to connect a single mode 900 μm buffered fiber. Prior Art FIG. 1G depicts a standard optical connector type commonly designated ‘LC’, configured as a single mode simplex connector on a 2 mm jacketed cable. FIG. 1H depicts type ‘LC’ configured for a multimode duplex 3 mm cable.
As a comparison of the optical connectors depicted in Prior Art FIGS. 1A–1H reveals, the mechanical configuration, including shape, contour, size, protrusions, recesses, appurtenances, accoutrements, and the like, of these various optical connectors differ significantly from one another. Type ‘MU’ conforms to a somewhat regular rectangular prism, with an approximately square connecting end and a few recesses in its outer case. Types ‘SC’ and ‘MTRJ’ instead have more irregular rectangular contours.
‘SC’ however has recesses different from those in ‘MU’ and small protrusions and an approximately rounded square connecting end protruding from its rectangular body. ‘MTRJ’, on the other hand, has a large protrusion at the end of its body opposite from the connection end, which is rectangular, and can have multiple pins protruding therefrom. Types ‘LC’ and ‘MTP’ or ‘MPO’ differ from each other significantly, as well as from the types ‘SC’, ‘MU’, and ‘MTRJ’, described above.
Optical connector types ‘MT-RJ’, ‘LC’, and ‘SC’ conform to optical connection termination receptacles to which they are pluggably coupled that have relatively small size. These connectors leave a relatively small footprint (e.g., small physical size and correspondingly low space occupancy). Such connectors and termination receptacles are typically known as small form factor pluggable (SFP) optics, such as types ‘MT-RJ’, ‘LC’, and ‘SC’ connectors. SFP optics are typically used to optically couple fibers to devices such as transponder modules.
Prior Art FIG. 11 depicts a typical transponder module, in this example, an extended range transponder module XPR. Module XPR has an SFP optical connector termination receptacle SFP. Modules such as transponder module XPR are sometimes stackable. Prior Art FIG. 1J depicts a stack 100 of transponder modules XPR, each with an SFP optical connector termination receptacle SFP. A rack 105 with other modules, such as Mux/Demux modules, terminating SFP and other type connectors is shown in Prior Art FIG. 1K.
In as much as optical connectors' mechanical interconnectivity characteristics can support their optical characteristics, the mechanical aspects are designed for optimal optical coupling. Good optical coupling requires stable, effectively rigid, substantially flat mechanical coupling. Such coupling is also important for mechanical reasons such as maintaining connection integrity under strain and/or vibration, excluding contaminants, which can fouling the optical surfaces, and the like. Such mechanical coupling is typically a strong, tight, and rigid bond.
Certain equipment engineering standards add requirements for such mechanical interconnectivity. For instance, network equipment is typically built to conform to Network Equipment Building Systems (NEBS) compliant standards. To meet the global demand for such equipment, it is sometimes built to conform to European Telecommunications Standard Institute (ETSI) specifications, as well. Optical receptacles and connectors in NEBS-compliant and ETSI-compliant equipment meet a stringent depth specification.
In order to meet the stringent depth requirements for NEBS-compliant and ETSI compliant equipment, optical connections are typically configured such that the optical connectors thereof are reset (e.g., recessed) when connected thereto, within the module hosting the connection. The recessing of such connectors to ensure compliance with NEBS, ETSI, and other such standards can add to the effort, perhaps significantly, required to work with the connectors. Such an effort can also be increased by mechanical interconnectivity attributes.
Mechanical couplings for optical connections however typically must also be de-coupleable, for maintenance, optical routing and installation changes, and other reasons. Coupling and de-coupling operations on tightly or rigidly fitting optical connectors are sometimes performed in active equipment, with space and configuration restrictions, and fragility considerations. For this and other reasons, technicians and others performing such operations sometimes seek the mechanical advantage provided by tools such as extracting tools.
Conventional optical connector extracting tools are typically unique to each particular type of optical connector, termination receptacle, or to a small group of similar such components. Thus, a separate tool is needed for extracting each particular type of optical connector. However, modern networking, telecommunication, and other such equipment sometimes comprise modules terminating several different types of optical connectors and deploy within them various types of optical media, perhaps each with differing optical connectors.
For example, one modern tower style networking platform deploys a Mux-Demux module, a transponder module, and a high capacity (e.g., 10 Gigabytes) data storage module assembly. The Mux-Demux module terminates fiber optics bearing both ‘MTP’ and ‘MU’ type connectors. The transponder module terminates fiber optics bearing ‘SC’ type connectors on SFP receptacles. The 10 Gbyte module uses ‘LC’ or ‘MT-RJ’ connectors for intra-assembly, and ‘SC’, ‘LC’ or ‘MTP’ types for connections to other systems.
To service or install changes in the exemplary platform, five different conventional extractor tools can be required, one for each type of connector or receptacle that may be encountered therein. Requiring such a multiplicity of tools can be problematic. The costs of such tools are not trivial. Thus, requiring separate tools can be expensive. A tool can become separated from the others and lost. Selecting the proper tool from among several for a particular connector can cause confusion, and using the wrong tool can cause damage.